Originally Posted by
Foghorn Leghorn
I see it’s quite an emotive subject for you and some others. I agree that in some respects the MAA not being independent of the operator could be an issue. Your grievance by the looks of things pertains to RAF VSOs meddling. I still take it back to my original point. On this particular issue, does it really matter as the Hawk T1 is going out of service. Case solved for this airframe.
The logic of your post is that you would go on making the same point as fleet after fleet disappears from the Military Register due to 'costs'. Case solved for every tree until the whole wood is gone? Classic stove-pipe mentality that would lead inexorably to no UK Military Aviation at all. Clearly a nonsense, so instead the core front line fleets are kept but still subject to the same problem, their airworthiness cannot be assured. It isn't money that will slowly turn that around but regulatory and investigative independence.
The words coffee and smell come to mind. Wake up. Now!